Safety evaluation and feedback system and method

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are discussed for providing a sensor enhanced employee safety evaluation system. Sensors that monitor employee behavior are placed at the workplace of an insured entity. Data from the sensors are processed to obtain a safety evaluation. Based on the safety evaluation, the insurance provider can adjust the terms of the insurance policy to accurately reflect the risks associated with the insured entity. Feedback based on the safety evaluation is also provided to the insured entity and the employees of the insured entity to promote improvements in safe behavior.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.12/024,676, filed Feb. 1, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/899,076, filed Feb. 2, 2007, the entirecontents of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many insurance companies are considering offering, or do offer,discounts or variable pricing for automobile insurance based on datacollected from vehicle telematics. Safety in the workplace includesperils beyond driving, including environmental conditions, physicalstress and strain, and dangerous equipment. Sensors on the marketplaceand in development can identify dangerous scenarios, includingenvironmental conditions, worker behaviors, use or lack of use of propersafety equipment, and interactions with dangerous machines, substancesor areas.

Workers' compensation insurance provides compensation for workers thatare injured on the job. This compensation may include medical expenses,death benefits, and payments in lieu of lost wages. Workers'compensation insurance is state-mandated for most employees and isgenerally provided by private insurance companies, though some statesoperate a state fund.

Rates for workers' compensation insurance are set by state and are basedon industry and job classification. Workers' compensation rating startswith a base rate, derived for each of some 600 classifications. Thisbase rate is not modified for the smallest businesses, but for others,it is. These modifications include a mandatory application of anexperience rating credit or debit, depending on a business's claimshistory compared to the average in that business class. Also,discretionary pricing modifications can be applied by the carrierdepending on its underwriting evaluation of the account. Many largeaccounts share in the funding of their claims via large deductibles,policyholder dividends and retrospectively rated programs. These kindsof programs are generally referred to as “risk share” plans. For thosebusinesses that are subject to experience rating or a “risk share” plan,their net cost of workers' compensation insurance is decreased to theextent they can either prevent, or mitigate the value of, claims.

Most insurance carriers that sell workers' compensation insuranceprovide professional services that help businesses prevent or mitigatethe values of claims, primarily by reviewing the business's exposuresand current controls, and by assessing the causes of prior claims andsubsequently recommending and implementing solutions. Again, to theextent that these solutions reduce the number and dollar amount ofclaims, overall, the premium paid by the business will also be reduced.Loss control services are generally available to all businesses, but aremost cost-effective for larger businesses.

Typically, loss control services are part of the basic product sold byan insurance carrier. However, loss control services may be made moreeffective and efficient by appropriately utilizing technology. Inparticular, sensor technologies that allow insured businesses to quicklyidentify unsafe situations, thereby providing the businesses withopportunity to correct them, and technologies that give insurancecarriers automatic feedback and information on the safety performance oftheir policyholders, may beneficially contribute to a streamlinedworkers' compensation insurance evaluation system and advantageouslydecrease the risk of accidents in the workplace.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, in one aspect the invention relates to a system forevaluating employee safety in the workplace of an insured entity, andaltering the terms of the insurance policy based on the safetyevaluation. The system comprises a server configured to receive safetydata from sensors located at the workplace of an insured entity. Thesensors monitor actions performed by the employees of the insuredentity. The system also comprises a business logic module configured toadjust the terms of the insurance policy covering the insured entitybased on the received safety data.

In one embodiment, the system comprises a safety evaluation module foranalyzing the received safety data and outputting a safety evaluationfor the insured entity based on the received data. The business logicmodule adjusts the terms of the insurance policy at least partiallybased on the outputted evaluation. The safety evaluations may be for anindividual employee of the insured entity, for a facility operated bythe insured entity, or for the entire insured entity. The terms of theinsurance policy may also be adjusted solely based on the knowledge thata safety evaluation system is in place, without reference to the actualdata or safety evaluation.

In another embodiment, the system also comprises a user interface modulefor receiving identification of safety policies implemented by theinsured entity in response to the safety data. In this embodiment, thebusiness logic module adjusts the insurance premium based on the safetypolicies that are instituted by the insured entity.

The sensors located at the insured entity include sensors worn by theemployees to monitor the behavior of the wearer when lifting an object.Based on the sensor data, the safety evaluation module and the businesslogic module evaluates the safety of the lifting behavior of the wearer,and outputs a lifting safety indicator based on the evaluation. Theterms of the insurance policy are adjusted by the business logic modulebased on the lifting safety indicator.

The sensors located at the insured entity also include sensors coupledwith articles of personal protective equipment. The sensors produce datathat is indicative of the employees' proper usage of the articles ofpersonal protective equipment, and the business logic module adjusts theinsurance policy premium based on the level of proper personalprotective equipment usage. In some embodiments, the premium adjustmentsare based on a predictive model.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a system for evaluatingemployee safety in the workplace of an insured entity, and providingfeedback to the insured entity based on the safety evaluation. Thesystem comprises sensors located at the workplace of an insured entityconfigured to monitor the actions of the employees of the insuredentity. The system also comprises a safety evaluation module thatcollects data from the sensors, analyzes the collected data and outputsa safety evaluation related to the employee actions. A communicationmodule is used to communicate the outputted evaluation from the safetyevaluation module to an output device, which provides feedback based atleast partially on the outputted evaluation to the employees. In oneembodiment, the outputted safety evaluation is communicated to a thirdparty server. In another embodiment, the outputted evaluation iscommunicated to a server operated by the insurance company.

In some embodiments, the output device provides feedback to theemployees in real-time. The feedback is in the form of a visual, audio,or tactile stimulus.

In some embodiments, the sensors are worn by the employees andconfigured to output data indicative of the lifting behavior of thewearers. In other embodiments, the sensors are coupled to articles ofpersonal protective equipment and configured to log the number of timesan employee misuses the equipment. If the logged number of times is overa predetermined threshold, then an unfavorable safety evaluation isoutputted. The system also includes sensors located at the entrances orborders of danger zones. These sensors are configured to log the numberof times employees enter the danger zones. If the logged number of timesis over a predetermined threshold, then an unfavorable safety evaluationis outputted.

In other aspects, the invention relates to methods andprocessor-readable media for using and implementing the system describedabove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system suitable for monitoring,evaluating, and providing feedback on employee workplace safety,according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computer network system that may be usedin an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a first employee safety evaluationsystem, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a second employee safety evaluationsystem, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for evaluating employee workplacesafety, according to an illustrative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the terms of an insurance policy.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To provide an overall understanding of the invention, certainillustrative embodiments will now be described. However, it will beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the methodsdescribed herein may be adapted and modified as is appropriate for theapplication being addressed and that the systems and methods describedherein may be employed in other suitable applications, and that suchother additions and modifications will not depart from the scope hereof.

FIG. 1 a schematic diagram of a system 100 for monitoring, evaluating,and providing feedback on employee workplace safety at an insuredentity. In FIG. 1, insurance company 120 provides customer 101 withinsurance coverage. The type of insurance provided by insurance company120 may be any type of insurance, such as general liability insurance,although the present invention is described primarily in terms ofworkers' compensation insurance. Customer 101 employs one or moreemployees 111. Employees 111 work at a workplace environment 109 that isaffiliated with customer 101. Workplace environment 109 may include oneor more facilities located together or separately from each other.Workplace environment 109 may not be at a fixed location, such as whencustomer 101 is a contractor who travels to various locations for work.Insurance company 120 can simultaneously provide services to multiplecustomers, although only one customer 101 is shown in FIG. 1 forclarity.

While on the job, employees 111 may have accidents or develop chronicailments as a result of handling various types of hazardous machinery113, equipment 115, and objects 125. A hazardous object 125 may be, forexample, a heavy box of merchandise that employees 111 must lift.Hazardous object 125 can also be inherently dangerous, such as aradioactive or chemically toxic object. A few examples of hazardousmachinery 113 and equipment 115 include cutting tools, electricaldevices, and construction equipment. In addition, workplace environment109 can be detrimental to the safety of employees 111 if it is prone tofires, breakdowns in proper ventilation, and other lapses in hazardcontainment.

To monitor the safety of employees 111 as they interact with theworkplace, sensors 123 are established in various manners at workplace109. Sensors 123 can be worn or carried around by employees 111, locatedon machinery 113, equipment 115, objects 125, and distributed aroundworkplace environment 109. Sensors 123 are configured to take a varietyof measurements. For example, motion detectors worn by employees 111measure body motion as employees 111 move around and carry out varioustasks at work. Multiple motion sensors may be worn on different bodyparts to obtain detailed body movement information. Motion sensors maymonitor speed, acceleration, position, rotation, and othercharacteristics of body and appendage motion. There are sensorsavailable for determining the body posture of employees 111,particularly while lifting heavy objects. Chronic and acute backinjuries are often the result of lifting objects using an improperlifting behavior, and can lead to high valued workers' compensationclaims. Pressure sensors embedded in the footwear of employees 111 orlocated on the floor of workplace 109 also provide information on theergonomics of employees 111, such the weight and weight distributionover different parts of the body. Many other types of wearable sensorsused to gain information about the work habits of employees 111 can beintegrated into safety evaluation system 100, such as chemical sensorand GPS transceivers.

In addition to being worn or carried around by employees 111, sensors123 are also be fixed on machinery 113, equipment 115, and objects 125.These sensors can also be motion, weight, heat, and pressure sensors,like the wearable sensors discussed above. For example, weight/forcesensors may be used to measure the weights of objects 125. Heat sensorsprovide information on the functionality of machinery 113 and equipment115. Overheating or malfunctioning equipment/machinery constitute aworkplace hazard for employees 111. RFID transponders placed onmachinery 113, equipment 115, and objects 125 are used to identify themachinery/equipment/object, or if paired with RFID transponders carriedby employees 111, are used to determine the relative location ofemployees 111 with respect to various pieces of machinery 113, equipment115, or objects 125.

Sensors 123 that are distributed at fixed locations around workplace 109include heat sensors that monitor the temperature of the workplace.Digital cameras and camcorders can be mounted around workplace 109 tomonitor and analyze employee actions, including lifting behavior whenlifting heavy objects. The above described sensors and their purposesare discussed in more detail below in connection with the systemsdepicted in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Sensors 123 can be configured to transmit data continuously throughoutthe day, at or during specified periods of time, or in response to thedetection of a particular event. Data from sensors 123 are collected andstored on local computer 133. Local computer 133 is a computer, a memorydevice, or a network of such devices that is capable of collecting,storing, and processing sensor data. Local computer 133 may be a mobiledevice, such as a smart phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), laptop,or micro PC. Alternatively, local computing device 133 may be anembedded computing platform built into sensors 123. Sensors 123communicate with local computer 133 via communication system 106.Communications system 106 can be wired or wireless, and can utilize anyappropriate protocol, such as Bluetooth® or WiFi. The internalcommunication network 106 between sensors 123 and local computer 133 ispart of a larger communications network 127 that allows communication ofinformation between customer 101, insurance company 120, and third partyprovider 107, whose functions are described further below. The devicesconnected to communication network 127, and the internal networkscontained within, may employ data encryption and security software sothat sensitive information, such as the medical histories of employees111, are protected.

In addition to the data obtained from sensors 123, static data regardingemployees 111, such as the age, height, level of physical fitness ofeach person, and data regarding industry safety standards is stored atan internal database 129 at customer 101. Data in internal database 129supplements sensor data and is transmitted along with sensor data toinsurance company 120 for processing. Internal database 129 may notnecessarily be located at customer 101. It can be located or maintainedat a remote location, but accessible by customer 101 and/or insurancecompany 120.

Safety data obtained from sensors 123 and database 129 is transmittedvia communications network 127 to insurance company 120 for evaluation.In one implementation, the data is transmitted in raw form directly fromthe sensors. In another implementation, the data is first processed bylocal computer 133 and then transmitted to insurance company 120 insynthesized form. The transmitted data may also pass through a thirdparty provider 107. In one scenario, third party provider 107 is anoutside expert hired by customer 101 or insurance company 120 to performthe analysis and evaluation of the sensor data. In another scenario,insurance company 120 purchases or obtains in another manner data fromthird party provider 107 instead of interacting directly with customer101. Like local database 129, third party provider 107 can also be asource of information on industry safety standards, for example fromNIOSH and OSHA.

Insurance company 120 has a computer system 119 that includesapplication servers 102, load balancing proxy servers 103, data storageunit 104, business logic computer 122, and user interface module 105 toperform risk evaluation and underwriting based on the collected employeesafety data. Employees of the insurance company 120 and other authorizedpersonnel use user interface module 105 to access the insurance companycomputer system. User interface module 105 may be any type of computingdevice that is configured to communicate with other computer systems.User interface module 105 may be connected directly to applicationserver 102, or may access an application server 102 via the loadbalancing proxy servers 103. User interface module 105 may connect toload balancing proxy servers 103 via a local area network, a privatedata link, or via the internet. Although depicted as being part ofinsurance company 120 in FIG. 1, user interface module 105 may belocated remotely, such as onsite at an insured facility. The businesslogic computer 122 is connected to the data storage unit 104 andapplication servers 102 over a local area network 121, which may be partof communication system 127. In addition, other network infrastructure,including, for example a firewall, backup servers, and back up datastores, may also be included in the system 119, without departing fromthe scope of the invention. Communications over the local area network121 and/or over the Internet, in one implementation, may be encrypted.In addition, such communications, whether encrypted or not, may also bedigitally signed for authenticating the source of the communications.The computer system 119 may also include a certificate authority toauthenticate one or more of the communications using public keyinfrastructure.

Based on employee safety data collected from the various sourcesdescribed above, a safety evaluation module analyzes and evaluatesemployee safety of customer 101. As used herein, a “module” may beimplemented in software for execution by various types of processors. Anidentified module of executable code may, for instance, comprise one ormore physical or logical blocks of computer instructions which may, forinstance, be organized as an object, procedure, or function.Nevertheless, the executables of an identified module need not bephysically located together, but may comprise disparate instructionsstored in different locations which, when joined logically together,comprise the module and achieve the stated purpose for the module.

Indeed, a module of executable code could be a single instruction, ormany instructions, and may even be distributed over several differentcode segments, among different programs, and across several memorydevices. Similarly, operational data may be identified and illustratedherein within modules, and may be embodied in any suitable form andorganized within any suitable type of data structure. The operationaldata may be collected as a single data set, or may be distributed overdifferent locations including over different storage devices, and mayexist, at least partially, merely as electronic signals on a system ornetwork. In addition, entire modules, or portions thereof, may also beimplemented in programmable hardware devices such as field programmablegate arrays, programmable array logic, programmable logic devices or thelike or as hardwired integrated circuits.

In one implementation, the safety evaluation module is implemented inbusiness logic computer 122. In other implementations, the safetyevaluation module is implemented in application servers 102, on localcomputer 133, or is distributed across multiple elements of system 119.After the safety evaluation module evaluates the safety condition ofcustomer 101, it sends feedback back to customer 101 via communicationsnetwork 127 that is directed towards improving employee workplacesafety. Feedback is provided to employees 111 through a visual, audio,or tactile stimulus, which is represented by flashing lights 130 inFIG. 1. Flashing lights 130 may, for example, flash when an employee 111enters into a hazardous area or adopts an unsafe posture when liftingheavy object 125. Other types of feedback mechanisms include a vibratingdevice worn by employee 111 or an audio buzzer. Feedback may also begiven to a manager, and then relayed to employee 111 in an indirectmanner, such as in a verbal conversation between the manager andemployee 111.

A business logic module, implemented preferably in business logiccomputer 122, is used to underwrite or alter workers' compensationinsurance pricing for customer 101 based on the received data. Thebusiness logic module may use predictive models, such as neuralnetworks, Bayesian networks, and support vector machines, in performingthe underwriting and premium adjustment. In one embodiment, the premiumof the insurance policy is decreased if customer 101 employees exhibitsafe practices. Conversely, insurance premiums are increased in responseto unsafe employee performance. Instead of altering premium rates, otherterms of the insurance policy can be altered, such as the policydeductible.

In another scenario, insurance company 120 awards customer 101 withpremium discounts, or other advantageous rewards, simply for institutinga safety evaluation and feedback system. In this scenario, insurancecompany 120 does not receive actual safety data from customer 101.Insurance company 120 may award different discounts depending onpolicies instituted by customer 101 based on the output of the safetyevaluation and feedback system. For example, insurance company 120 mayaward a discount if customer 101 has a safety policy of giving salarybonuses to employees 111 with good safety records. Insurance company 120may also award a discount if customer 101 has a reward policy thatpromotes active participation of employees 111 in the safety evaluationsystem. These scenarios are described in more detail further below inconnection with FIGS. 3 and 4.

Business logic computer 122 may be implemented based on the computernetwork system architecture shown in FIG. 2. Business logic computer 122may have data storage capabilities of its own, or may access externaldata storage unit 104 for such purposes. In one implementation, datastorage unit 104 is a data warehouse utilized by the insurance company120. The data warehouse is the main electronic depository of theinsurance company's current and historical data. The data warehouseincludes one or more interrelated databases that store informationrelevant to insurance data analysis. The interrelated databases storeboth structured and unstructured data. In one implementation, one ormore of the interrelated databases store electronic copies of insuranceforms, either in an image format or a text-searchable format keyed to acustomer or claim. Other databases in the interrelated databases storedata, for example, in a relational database, in various data fieldskeyed to various identifiers, such as, without limitation, customer,data source, geography, or business identifier (such as StandardIndustry Classification Code). The information stored in the datawarehouse 104 is obtained through communications with customers, agents,vendors, sensors, and third party data providers and investigators. Inparticular, the data warehouse is configured to store data aboutcustomer employee safety, as well as related loss information, if any.Preferably, the computations required for risk evaluation andunderwriting are primarily carried out by business logic computer 122,in order to free up the other resources for other tasks. The processesperformed by business logic computer 122 in illustrative embodiments ofthe invention are described below in relation to FIGS. 3 and 4.

In one implementation, software operating on the application servers 102act merely as presentation and data extraction and conversion servers.All substantive business logic, including underwriting and pricingdeterminations, is carried out on the business logic computer 122. Inthis implementation, the application servers 102 obtain data from thedata storage unit 104 and the business logic computer 122 andincorporate that data into web pages (or other graphical user interfaceformats). These web pages are then communicated by the applicationservers 102 through the load balancing proxy servers 103 to userinterface module 105 for presentation. Upon receiving input from userinterface module 105, the application server 102 translates the inputinto a form suitable for processing by the business logic computer 122and for storage by the data storage unit 104. In this implementation,the application servers can be operated by third parties, who can addtheir own branding to the web pages or add other customized presentationdata. In the alternative, at least some of the business logic is alsocarried out by the application servers 102. Application servers 102 mayalso include a webserver for automatically recovering or retrievingsafety data from local computer 133.

In another implementation, the application servers 102 are softwaremodules operating on one or more computers. One of the computers onwhich the application servers 102 are operating may also serve as thebusiness logic computer 122 and/or as a load balancing proxy server 103.

In other implementations, the software operating on user interfacemodule 105 includes a thin or thick client application in addition to,or instead of web browser. The thin or thick client applicationinterfaces with a corresponding server application operating on theapplication server 102.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a computing architecture suitable forimplementing various ones of the computing devices depicted in FIG. 1,including, for example, the business logic computer 122, applicationservers 102, and user interface module 105.

Computer 201 comprises at least one central processing unit (CPU) 202,at least one read-only memory (ROM) 203, at least one communication portor hub 204, at least one random access memory (RAM) 205, and one or moredatabases or data storage devices 206. All of these later elements arein communication with the CPU 202 to facilitate the operation of thecomputer 201. The computer 201 may be configured in many different ways.For example, computer 201 may be a conventional standalone computer oralternatively, the function of computer 201 may be distributed acrossmultiple computing systems and architectures.

Computer 201 may be configured in a distributed architecture, whereindatabases and processors are housed in separate units or locations. Somesuch units perform primary processing functions and contain at aminimum, a general controller or a processor 202, a ROM 203, and a RAM205. In such an embodiment, each of these units is attached to acommunications hub or port 204 that serves as a primary communicationlink with other servers 207, client or user computers 208 and otherrelated devices 209. The communications hub or port 204 may have minimalprocessing capability itself, serving primarily as a communicationsrouter. A variety of communications protocols may be part of the system,including but not limited to: Ethernet, SAP, SAS™, ATP, BLUETOOTH™, GSMand TCP/IP.

The CPU 202 comprises a processor, such as one or more conventionalmicroprocessors and one or more supplementary co-processors such as mathco-processors. The CPU 202 is in communication with the communicationport 204 through which the CPU 202 communicates with other devices suchas other servers 207, user terminals 208, or devices 209. Thecommunication port 204 may include multiple communication channels forsimultaneous communication with, for example, other processors, serversor client terminals. Devices in communication with each other need notbe continually transmitting to each other. On the contrary, such devicesneed only transmit to each other as necessary, may actually refrain fromexchanging data most of the time, and may require several steps to beperformed to establish a communication link between the devices.

The CPU 202 is also in communication with the data storage device 206.The data storage device 206 may comprise an appropriate combination ofmagnetic, optical and/or semiconductor memory, and may include, forexample, RAM, ROM, flash drive, an optical disc such as a compact discand/or a hard disk or drive. The CPU 202 and the data storage device 206each may be, for example, located entirely within a single computer orother computing device; or connected to each other by a communicationmedium, such as a USB port, serial port cable, a coaxial cable, aEthernet type cable, a telephone line, a radio frequency transceiver orother similar wireless or wired medium or combination of the foregoing.For example, the CPU 202 may be connected to the data storage device 206via the communication port 204.

The data storage device 206 may store, for example, (i) a program (e.g.,computer program code and/or a computer program product) adapted todirect the CPU 202 in accordance with the present invention, andparticularly in accordance with the processes described in detailhereinafter with regard to the CPU 202; (ii) databases adapted to storeinformation that may be utilized to store information required by theprogram. Suitable databases include data storage unit 104 of FIG. 1.

The program may be stored, for example, in a compressed, an uncompiledand/or an encrypted format, and may include computer program code. Theinstructions of the program may be read into a main memory of theprocessor from a computer-readable medium other than the data storagedevice 206, such as from a ROM 203 or from a RAM 205. While execution ofsequences of instructions in the program causes the processor 202 toperform the process steps described herein, hard-wired circuitry may beused in place of, or in combination with, software instructions forimplementation of the processes of the present invention. Thus,embodiments of the present invention are not limited to any specificcombination of hardware and software.

Suitable computer program code may be provided for performing numerousfunctions such as safety data processing and insurance policyunderwriting. The program also may include program elements such as anoperating system, a database management system and “device drivers” thatallow the processor to interface with computer peripheral devices 209(e.g., a video display, a keyboard, a computer mouse, etc.).

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any mediumthat provides or participates in providing instructions to the processorof the computing device (or any other processor of a device describedherein) for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including butnot limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatilemedia include, for example, optical, magnetic, or opto-magnetic disks,such as memory. Volatile media include dynamic random access memory(DRAM), which typically constitutes the main memory. Common forms ofcomputer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexibledisk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM,DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any otherphysical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM orEEPROM (electronically erasable programmable read-only memory), aFLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other mediumfrom which a computer can read.

Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying oneor more sequences of one or more instructions to the processor 202 (orany other processor of a device described herein) for execution. Forexample, the instructions may initially be borne on a magnetic disk of aremote computer 208. The remote computer 208 can load the instructionsinto its dynamic memory and send the instructions over an Ethernetconnection, cable line, or even telephone line using a modem. Acommunications device 204 local to a computing device (or, e.g., aserver) can receive the data on the respective communications line andplace the data on a system bus for the processor. The system bus carriesthe data to main memory, from which the processor retrieves and executesthe instructions. The instructions received by main memory mayoptionally be stored in memory either before or after execution by theprocessor. In addition, instructions may be received via a communicationport as electrical, electromagnetic or optical signals, which areexemplary forms of wireless communications or data streams that carryvarious types of information.

As previously discussed with reference to FIG. 1, servers may alsointeract and/or control one or more user devices 209, such as displaysand printers, or remote computers 208 such as, e.g., user interfacemodule 105. User device 209 may include any one or a combination of apersonal computer, a laptop, a personal digital assistant, a mouse, akeyboard, a computer display, a touch screen, LCD, voice recognitionsoftware, or other generally represented by input/output devicesrequired to implement the above functionality.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an illustrative employee safetymonitoring and evaluation system where customer 101 is insured byinsurance company 120. In FIG. 3, employee 302 of customer 101 islifting a heavy object 312. This system is configured to monitor thelikelihood of stress and strain injuries, which constitute a largepotion of workers' compensation claims. As a participant of a safetyevaluation system, employee 302 wears sensors 304 on his body to monitorhis body posture, movement, and other lifting behavior while liftingobject 312. Sensors 304 may be, for example, footwear with embeddedweight/force sensors that measure his weight distribution, heat sensorsto monitor overheating or overexertion, and digital cameras to capturelifting behavior information.

As employee 302 performs the task of lifting object 312, the abovedescribed sensors transmit data to computing device 306. In oneembodiment, computing device 306 is a mobile computing device, such as asmart phone, laptop, micro PC, or an embedded computing platform builtinto the sensor platform. Data is transferred between sensors 304 andcomputing device 306 via any kind of wireless communication system, suchas a Bluetooth® or WiFi network. Computing device 306 collects,aggregates, and stores the transmitted data. Computing device 306 alsoperforms calculations and analyses on the transmitted data, such asnoise filtering and mathematical operations to synthesize moremeaningful data.

In addition to data derived from sensors, static data is also availableand stored in database 308. Static data includes data such as the name,medical history, job characteristics, and other personal facts regardingemployee 302. Static data also includes the weight, attachment points,and dimensions of object 312. This type of data is used by computingdevice 306 in conjunction with sensor data to evaluate the safety ofemployee actions. For example, it could be considered unsafe for anemployee weighing 110 lbs and in poor physical shape to lift a 50 lbsobject, while a different employee weighing 150 lbs and in good shapecould do the same task safely. Static data stored in database 308optionally includes industry safety standards set by NIOSH and OSHA.These industry standards are used in some implementations as a benchmarkfor safety evaluation. In some embodiments, the safety evaluationresults in a lifting safety indicator that insurance company 120 uses inaltering the policy terms.

Computing device 306 provides employee 302 with immediate feedback abouthis lifting behavior through a stimulus. For example, a light may blinkwhenever employee 302 adopts unsafe lifting behavior. Alternatively, avibrating apparatus worn by employee 302 or an audio stimulus isactivated to relay the same message. In one implementation, feedbackstimuli is activated by computing device 306 only when employee actionspass a certain quantitative threshold. To obtain a safety evaluationscore to compare to the threshold, computing device 306 applies aquantitative algorithm to the received data.

In addition to computing device 306, which may be a handheld mobiledevice and insufficient for all the computing and storage needs of theevaluation system, there may be a local server 310 connected tocomputing device 306. Local server 310 communicates directly withdatabase 308 and sensors 304. Data may be transferred between localserver 310 and the other elements of the system via a USB, wired LAN,WiFi, or cellular connection. The network connection is preferentiallysecure so that personal data such as employee medical history isprotected. Local server 310 performs local processing such as collectingraw sensor data over time and aggregating information for analysisacross all users of the safety evaluation system. Local server 310 canbe located onsite at customer 101 or be a product or service offered bya third party.

In one implementation, local server 310 generates periodic safetyreports on all the employees 302 for management of customer 101.Management can then use these reports to provide feedback to employees302 to promote safer behavior. These reports may also be used bymanagement to create policies that promote safe behavior. For example,the fraction of safe to unsafe lifts performed by an employee 302 orother lifting safety indicators may be included in the report, andmanagement may award employee 302 a year-end bonus or other benefit orrecognition based on this indicator.

Local server 310, computing device 306, database 308, and sensors 304may also transmit data directly to insurance company 120. Datatransmission between these elements and insurance company 120 may occurin a variety of ways, such as via secure email, HTTPS protocol, and XMLmessages over a SOAP protocol. Insurance company 120 may use this datafor safety and premium analysis.

Safety analysis includes any safety assessment, risk evaluation, or riskimprovement services. Services offered may include loss control servicessuch as the dispatch of safety experts employed by insurance company 120to advise on dangerous scenarios at the workplace. Loss control servicesmay be provided, for example, after insurance company 120 is alerted ofunsafe circumstances at a customer workplace through reports sent fromlocal server 310. Modification of these services based on the receiveddata may include an increase or decrease in frequency of the service, achange in the cost of the service, and targeting a specific safetyconcern.

Premium analysis includes activities that potentially affect acustomer's premium, deductible amount, discounts or credits, as well aslarge scale analysis to provide input into industry or occupationexperience factors. The determination of premium and offering ofdiscounts or credits may be performed once at underwriting time,regularly on an interval, continuously, in response to an event, orretroactively, as permitted by local, state, and/or federal regulations.

The analysis and decisions made by insurance company 120 with regard topremium/service adjustments and safety evaluation may be transmittedback to customer 101. This information may be stored at local server310, or on another device at customer 101. This information may bedirectly accessible by employees 302 of customer 101 or may be relayedto employees 302 by manager 314.

Insurance company 120 may save the data and reports received fromcustomer 101, and the decisions that were made based upon them, in datastorage unit 104, which was discussed in FIG. 1, or in a separate datawarehouse. This archived data may be used for future retrospectiveanalysis, claims adjudication, and/or to support fraud investigation.

Another illustrative employee safety monitoring and evaluation system isshown in FIG. 4. Other major sources of peril in the workplace includelack of compliance with best practices for use of personal protectiveequipment and other guidelines regarding off-limits hazardous areas andpermission to use dangerous equipment. For example, it is wellunderstood that safety goggles should be used when operating certainmachinery, such as a lathe. The system shown in FIG. 4 may be used tomonitor and promote compliance with such guidelines, and appropriatelyalter insurance policy terms in response to changes in compliance.

Like in FIG. 3, customer 101 employing employees 402, is insured byinsurance company 120. Employee 402 may perform a job that requiresprotective clothing or equipment 404, such as hard hats, goggles,gloves, boots, and lifting belts. For example, employee 402 may be alathe operator. While it is in the employee's best interest to wearprotective clothing 404 and customer 101 may have policies requiringprotective clothing, employee 402 may intentionally or unintentionallyfail to comply with these policies. A safety monitoring system canpromote compliance and lead to fewer injuries at the workplace.

In the system depicted in FIG. 4, articles of personal protectiveequipment 404 may be tagged with inexpensive RFID chips. The hazardousequipment 406 that employee 402 operates is equipped with sensors, suchas an RFID reader for detecting the presence of personal protectiveequipment. Examples of hazardous equipment include hand tools, powertools, machine tools, construction equipment and vehicles, andchemically toxic and physically fragile objects. A motion detector, suchas an infrared motion sensor, may also be located on or near equipment406. The motion detector may have a range of less than a few meters, sothat it senses only motion very close to it. When employee 402approaches equipment 406, the motion detector is activated, triggeringthe RFID reader. The RFID reader detects the RFID tagged personalprotective equipment 404, or lack thereof, and recognizes the employee402. Employee identity information may be stored in the RFID chip if theprotective clothing is not shared. Otherwise, a separate RFID chip maybe embedded in employee 402's ID card or in another convenient object.

In one implementation, equipment 406 is configured to stay inactiveunless RFID tagged personal protective equipment is detected. Thus,employee 402 cannot operate equipment 406 without wearing appropriatepersonal protective equipment 404. In another implementation, anemployee's presence in the vicinity of equipment 406 without personalprotective equipment 404 may trigger an alarm. For example, if anemployee activates the motion detector, but the RFID scanner does notdetect a corresponding chip, then an alarm will sound to alert theemployee that he is not wearing personal protective equipment 404. Thealarm may also be concurrently transmitted to employee 402's supervisorand medical personnel in some situations, such as when employee 402approaches chemically toxic or radioactive equipment 406 without aradiation suit.

The system can log the number of times employee 402 attempts to handleor operate equipment 406 without proper personal protective equipment404. This information can be used by insurance company 120 to evaluatethe safety of employee 402's behavior. The results of the evaluation canbe used by insurance company 120 to alter the terms of the insurancepolicy.

Although the system above is described as being implemented using RFIDtechnology, other types of technology may also be used to accomplish thesame goals. One example is digital photography and image analysis, whichcan be used to identify employee 402 and personal protective equipment404. GPS, assisted GPS, floor pressure sensors, and motion detectors areother technologies that can be utilized, alone or in combination, toimplement the above described safety monitoring and alert system. Inaddition, sensors can be combined into sensor networks and incorporatedinto the system.

Another scenario where the above described monitoring and alert systemmay be utilized is in monitoring employee 402 activity and presence inhazardous areas at a workplace. Hazardous area 408 may be the vicinityaround high voltage electrical equipment, radioactive or chemicallytoxic areas, areas with dangerous moving parts such as engine rooms, andother places with high likelihood of accidents. In general, customer 101may want to dissuade employees 402 from entering hazardous areas 408unless they have a reason to be there and are trained in any specialskills that may be necessary.

One method for monitoring activity in hazardous areas 408 is toestablish RFID tagged gates around the areas. In this manner, onlyemployees 402 granted with access may enter such areas. In some cases,it might not be desirable to institute such strict requirements aroundsome hazardous areas 408. For example, customer 101 may want to dissuadeemployees 402 from entering a moderately dangerous work zone, but doesnot want to implement a more complex system to prevent it. In this case,RFID scanners located at the work zone may identify and keep track ofthe number of times employee 402 enters the zone, but may not activelyprevent it. However, by logging the number of times employee 402 entersthe zone, feedback can be given to that employee to promote saferbehavior in the future. For example, employee 402's manager may haveaccess to the logs and may notify employee 402 verbally.

Other sensors can also be used in addition to, or in place of, RFID tagsto implement the system described above. For example, GPS systems can beused to track employee locations and digital photography and photorecognition systems can be used for personnel identification.

Hazardous areas 408 may be equipped with environmental sensors thatmonitor heat, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and smoke levels. Thesesensors may be linked to alarms so that immediate feedback andevacuation can be facilitated.

Similar to the embodiment described in FIG. 3, data from sensors locatedon employees 402, personal protective equipment 404, hazardous equipment406, and hazardous areas 408 may be transmitted to a local computer 416for collection, aggregation, and processing. The data may be transmittedvia any appropriate wired or wireless, secure or open, communicationsprotocol, as discussed previously in FIG. 3. Local computer 416 mayprocess the sensor data to obtain useful information, such as imageanalysis on digital camera footage. Local computer 416 may also receiveinput from database 414, which may store static data regarding theemployees 402, personal protective equipment 404, hazardous equipment406, and hazardous areas 408, such as employee identity, employee accessrights to certain areas, employee training level for certain tasks andequipment, and safety information on hazardous equipment 406 owned bycustomer 101. Local computer 416 may be operated by customer 101 or maybe a service/product that is offered by a third party.

Based on the collected sensor data and static information from database414, local computer 416 may determine the number of times a particularemployee 402 fails to comply with safety standards, and generate an asafety evaluation of customer 101's workplace. Local computer 416 mayalso aggregate safety data across all employees and generate reports formanagement 410.

Raw data from sensors 404 and processed data from local computer 416 maybe transmitted to insurance company 120. Insurance company 120 mayperform safety analysis and premium analysis on the data, as discussedabove in connection with FIG. 3.

The analysis and decisions made by insurance company 120 with regard topremium/service adjustments and safety evaluation may be transmittedback to customer 101. This information may be stored at local computer416, or on another device at customer 101. This information may bedirectly accessible by employees 402 of customer 101 or may be relayedto employees 402 by manager 410.

Insurance company 120 may save the data and reports received fromcustomer 101, and the decisions that were made based upon them, in datastorage unit 104, which was discussed in FIG. 1, or in a separate datawarehouse. This archived data may be used for future retrospectiveanalysis, claims adjudication, and/or to support fraud investigation.

The embodiments depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate exemplaryimplementations of a safety monitoring and evaluation system. Theseimplementations can also be used in combination to concurrently monitorphysical actions performed by employees, personal protective equipmentuse, and other safety-related behaviors.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of exemplary steps in a method for evaluating andimproving workplace safety. The method begins with collecting data fromsensors located at the workplace of an insured customer (step 501). Thesensor data is related to employee safety. As previously described,sensors at the workplace may measure environmental factors such astemperature, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, smoke, pressure, andanother factors that may affect the safety of the workplace. Sensors mayalso be worn by employees to collect information on employee actions.Such sensors may include pressure sensors embedded in shoes, and maymeasure lifting behavior and weight distribution of the wearer while heperforms certain acts on the job, such as lifting heavy objects.Employee actions such as running, throwing, reaching, falling, andmaterial handling can also be measured. Other types of sensors includedigital cameras, weight/forces pads on the ground, infrared motionsensors, and RFID transponders on equipment, protective clothing, andemployee identification cards. Systems in which these sensors are usedare described above in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4.

The sensor data may be collected by mobile computing devices, such aslaptops, smart phones, and PDAs, and data may be transmitted via awireless communication protocol, such as Bluetooth® or WiFi. Sensor datamay also be collected on a local computer or server.

In addition to sensor data, static data is collected at step 505. Staticdata may include personal information on employees, such as theirmedical history, level of physical fitness, job description, level ofrestricted access, and their current safety evaluation. Static data mayalso include data on objects and equipment at the workplace, such as theergonomics (size, shape, dimensions, weight) of objects that may behandled by employees, operation procedures of certain equipment, and thedegree of hazard of certain work zones. In general, static data mayencompass any relevant data that is not being collected in real timefrom sensors, including industry standards from NIOSH and OSHA. Staticdata may be stored at a local server.

In addition to or instead of collecting data from sensors and localstatic data servers, data may also be purchased or obtained from a thirdparty (step 503). The purchased data may be used to supplement thesensor data or may be used to validate or debug the system. Thepurchased data may include sensor data as well as static data.

Whether the safety data is derived from sensors, a static database, orfrom a third party, it is analyzed, processed, and aggregated at step507. Data may be aggregated over all the employees or it may beaggregated over a particular time interval. The aggregated data may begenerated into reports, which can then be provided to interested parties(see step 511 below).

Data processing may include applying algorithms to the collected data,which may be in its raw form, to obtain values of interest. For example,raw sensor data may be noise filtered.

The raw sensor data, processed data, and static data may be combined atthis step and analyzed to obtain a safety evaluation of the workplace.The evaluation may be a score or a qualitative description. Theevaluation may be compared to NIOSH and OSHA safety standards to obtaina pass/fail or a good/bad characterization.

Using the safety evaluation, the insured company may institute policiesto promote safe practices at step 509. For example, the insured companymay offer bonuses to employees who obtain a good safety evaluation orwho are willing to participate in the evaluation program. The insuredcompany may also hold training programs to teach remedial safetypractices, such as proper lifting techniques, to those determined by theevaluation system to exhibit unsafe practices. Other policies institutedby the insured company include employer recognition programs thatpublicly recognize employees identified by the system as safe employees,and stricter suspension or other punitive policies for employees who donot comply with the safety rules as determined by the system.

In response to insured company instituting the above mentioned policies,or other policies designed to promote a safe working environment, theinsurance company can favorably alter the terms of the insurance policy,such as decreasing the premium or deductible.

At step 511, safety evaluations, in the form of reports for the entirecompany, individual customer facilities, employee teams, or individualemployees may be provided to the company or individual as feedback. Forexample, a manager may receive a report indicating that a particularemployee was not compliant with safety rules a certain percentage oftime. The manager may relay that information to the employee verbally. Amore direct form of feedback would be when the system automaticallyalerts an employee of an unsafe act via a real-time physical stimulus,such as a buzzer. Either way, the employee receives feedback about hisactions and can correct them in the future.

At step 513, the insured company notifies the insurance company aboutthe policies that they have instituted to promote safe behavior. Basedon this alone, and without receiving the actual data, insurance companymay grant discounts to the insured company at step 517.

Alternatively, the insured company may transmit the actual data to theinsurance company at step 515. In this case, the insurance company mayperform its own safety evaluation of the data and grant discounts basedon the evaluation outcomes at step 519. The insurance company or theinsured company may also hire a third party service to perform theevaluation.

In deciding to alter the terms of the insurance policy, the insurancecompany, or the third party evaluator, may compare the safetyperformance, as determined from the sensor data, of the insured companyto an industry baseline. If the safety performance of the insuredcompany is better than the industry baseline, the insurance company thenalters the terms of the policy favorably.

In another scenario, the safety performance of the insured company iscompared to its previous performance. For example, if the safetyperformance of the company improves over its past performance, then theinsurance company may award discounts in the premium.

This safety evaluation and feedback system may operate continuously orat certain intervals. The process may repeat itself and lead to newadjustments in insurance policy terms and new feedback may be providedto the employees and the company. A sensor enhanced evaluation system isadvantageous because it allows safety improvements at the insuredcompany to be reflected in the policy on a more immediate time basis.

FIG. 6 shows exemplary insurance policy terms that can be adjusted inthe present safety evaluation system. Insurance policy 600 ischaracterized by terms 601-617. In response to an safety evaluation ofan insured entity, some of the terms 601-617 of the insurance policy areadjusted to reflect the safety evaluation. For example, a favorablesafety evaluation may lead to a decrease in premium 601 and deductibleamount 602. An unfavorable safety evaluation may lead to an increase inpremium 601. The deductible credit 603, loss limit 604, excess losspremium factors 605, retrospective rating plans and factors 606,experience rating plan modifications 607, schedule rating plan creditsor debits 608, dividend plan types 609, dividend plan retention factors610, expected dividend plan payouts 611, amount of rate deviation 612,service cost expectations 613, start and end dates 614, coveragedescription 615, services offered 616, entity ID 617, and other policyterms may be altered in a similar manner.

1. A safety evaluation system comprising: a plurality of sensorsconfigured to monitor actions performed by employees of an insuredentity; a computerized safety evaluation processor configured to:collect data from the plurality of sensors; analyze the collected data;output a safety evaluation related to the performed actions based atleast in part on the analysis; an output device configured to providefeedback to the employees that is as least in part based on theoutputted safety evaluation; and a communications processor forcommunicating at least one of the collected data and the safetyevaluation to a server operated by an insurance company.
 2. The systemof claim 1, wherein the communications processor is configured forcommunicating the safety evaluation from the computerized safetyevaluation processor to the output device.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein the output device provides real-time feedback to the employees,and wherein the feedback comprises at least one of a visual, audio, ortactile stimulus.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality ofsensors are worn by at least one of the employees, and wherein thesensors output data indicative of the lifting behavior of a respectivewearer.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensorscomprise sensors coupled to articles of personal protective equipment,and wherein the sensors are configured to log the number of times aperson fails to properly use the articles of personal protectiveequipment.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the outputted safetyevaluation is unfavorable when the logged number of times is over apredetermined threshold.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the insurancecompany provides workers compensation insurance coverage for the entity.8. A method of evaluating employee safety, the method comprising:monitoring by a plurality of sensors actions performed by employees ofan insured entity; collecting by a computerized safety evaluationprocessor data from the plurality of sensors; analyzing by thecomputerized safety evaluation processor the collected data; outputtingby the computerized safety evaluation processor a safety evaluationrelated to the performed actions based at least in part on the analysis;providing by an output device feedback to the employees that is as leastin part based on the outputted safety evaluation; and communicating by acommunications processor at least one of the collected data and thesafety evaluation to a server operated by an insurance company providingthe entity workers' compensation insurance.
 9. The method of claim 8,wherein the communications processor is configured for communicating thesafety evaluation from the computerized safety evaluation processor tothe output device.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein providing feedbackcomprises providing feedback in real-time to the employees, and whereinthe feedback comprises at least one of a visual, audio, or tactilestimulus.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensorsare worn by at least one of the employees, and wherein the sensorsoutput data indicative of the lifting behavior of a respective wearer.12. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors comprisesensors coupled to articles of personal protective equipment, andwherein the sensors are configured to log the number of times a personfails to properly use the articles of personal protective equipment. 13.The method of claim 12, wherein the outputted safety evaluation isunfavorable when the logged number of times is over a predeterminedthreshold.
 14. A safety evaluation system comprising: a plurality ofsensors configured to monitor the lifting behavior of employees of aninsured entity; a computerized safety evaluation processor configuredto: collect data from the plurality of sensors; analyze the collecteddata to determine the lifting behavior; output a safety evaluationrelated to the lifting behavior based at least in part on the analysis;an output device configured to provide feedback to the employees that isas least in part based on the outputted safety evaluation; and acommunications processor for communicating at least one of the collecteddata and the safety evaluation to a server operated by an insurancecompany providing the entity workers' compensation insurance.
 15. Thesafety evaluation system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sensorsare configured to monitor employee posture during lifting.
 16. Thesafety evaluation system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sensorsare configured to monitor employee body rotation during lifting.
 17. Thesafety evaluation system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sensorscomprise pressure sensors for measuring distribution of an employee'sweight during lifting.
 18. The safety evaluation system of claim 14,comprising a portable computing device configured for wirelesslyreceiving data output by the sensors for an individual employee and forwirelessly transmitting data indicative of the received data to thecomputerized safety evaluation processor.
 19. The safety evaluationsystem of claim 18, wherein the portable computing device comprises oneof a personal digital assistant, a cellular phone, and a smart phone.20. The safety evaluation system of claim 18, wherein the portablecomputing device comprises a BLUETOOTH transceiver for receiving thedata output by the sensors and at least one of a WIFI transceiver and acellular transceiver for transmitting the data indicative of thereceived data to the computerized safety evaluation processor.
 21. Thesafety evaluation system of claim 18, wherein the portable computingdevice comprises the output device.